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Dumpster Diver Challenge

Posted: December 4th, 2017, 8:22 pm
by MichelleCYoung
My computer is finally back, and running, sort of. Well, Windows 10 "updated" to make my life "better," and now all I can run is Base Game, Vanilla (can't install any of my store content!!! Aaaaagh!). Anyway, until I can get it sorted out and get my real stuff back, I'm noodling around with a base game challenge of my own. It's simple and short (only 21 days), but promises to be fun.

Dumpster Diver Rules:

Start with a single young adult sim (adjust aging as necessary to get the full 21 days until aging up). Buy an empty lot of whatever size you like. Cheat your way to $0 in family funds. For the entire duration of young adult life, your sim will dumpster dive, and use the proceeds to build up their “dream home.”

ALL your family's worth must trace its origin back to the dumpster. You may use or sell your finds.
  • You may NOT garden, unless you found the plantable object in the dumpster.
  • You may NOT fish, unless you found enough fish in a dumpster to stock your own pond (10 or more).
  • You may NOT busk, paint, or write novels, unless you found the appropriate money-making-device in the dumpster.
  • You may NOT get a job.
  • You may NOT mooch funds off other sims (although you may mooch food).
  • You may NOT collect items off the ground.
  • You may NOT move in/marry another sim before the founder's adult birthday (no “dowry”).
  • You may NOT skill unless you are able to do it at home, with skill objects that can trace their roots to the dumpster, but once a skill object is “unlocked” (found or purchased with dumpster money), you may skill with it anywhere. A mirror or bookcase can get you started. You may watch Cooking channel, after you get a stove or bookcase with a cooking book. You may watch fishing channel only after you have found 10 of the same type of fish and stocked your own pond. You may read at the library, but only books you already have at home. Get the idea?
  • You MUST pay bills.
  • All items from the dumpster must be placed and/or sold by midnight on the day they were found.
  • You don't have to start building up your house for 1 week. After that, however, you need to start building up your “dream home,” on your home lot (and paying bills!).
  • Your “dream home,” must be fully enclosed, and on a foundation, with at least one step and a porch of at least 2 squares, and must include The Basics: 1 bed, 1 fridge, 1 counter, 1 sink, 1 stove, 1 table, 1 chair, 1 toilet, 1 shower or tub, 1 bookcase, and 1 entertainment device.
  • Opportunities may NOT be accepted or fulfilled.
Scoring:
+1 for each room in the house 6+ squares in size (closets don't count, but hallways do)
+1 for each $1000 in family net worth (cash plus value of house, furnished, - check build/buy mode, top left corner)
+1 for each piece of furniture placed in the house beyond The Basics
+1 for each Basic item that was actually dug out of the dumpster. May have multiples of the same items, for multiple points.
+1 for each skill point earned (can be earned anywhere, but the skill object to allow gaining that skill must be placed on the home lot, before you earn the skill elsewhere)

Figure your score when your founder becomes an adult.

Note - from my experiments, it looks like you can not find a fridge, counters, mirror, or plumbing in the dumpster. But beds, tables, chairs, bookcases, stoves, TVs, stereos, computers, gaming systems, table lamps, floor lamps, and a variety of decor objects can be found there, as well as common insects, gems and ores. I did not find any fish, seeds, or produce in the dumpster, but YMMV.

Re: Dumpster Diver Challenge

Posted: December 5th, 2017, 6:57 pm
by snazzle
This sounds fun! It's almost how I started out my Baby Boom challenge LOL so I'll try it for real when I'm done with that. My young adult stage is set at 28, but I'll just keep an eye on the counter and call it at 21 days.

Re: Dumpster Diver Challenge

Posted: December 5th, 2017, 9:40 pm
by MichelleCYoung
I just finished my run-through, "Traylor Trash," and got a score of
Spoiler:
252.
I think that's not bad, at all, especially for a first try. Most of my points are from the furniture. Gotta love those small decorative items. Yes, I counted them. And I say that other players can count decorations, too. Official ruling.

If you're willing to count up hundreds of knick-knacks, go for it. I did a complete inventory, listing what was bought, and what was found. To tell the truth, I was astonished at just how much I was able to find! Who knew?

Anyway, I'll be posting my story on boolprop, just as soon as I can get my file sharing to work.

Re: Dumpster Diver Challenge

Posted: December 6th, 2017, 12:29 pm
by heatherfeather
This challenge sounds really fun!

Re: Dumpster Diver Challenge

Posted: December 8th, 2017, 2:05 pm
by Jenn
I'm having a go at this right now. It's pretty fun. I like that it's a short challenge, so I probably won't post a full thread for it.

My only question is: What is YMMV?

Re: Dumpster Diver Challenge

Posted: December 12th, 2017, 8:00 am
by Jenn
I completed my try at this here and here

Score
Spoiler:
Points for 6+ tile rooms: 15
Net Worth: 48
Furniture placed beyond the basics: 104
Basic Items dug up: 44
Skill Points: 13

Total Score: 224

Items bought: Fridge, toilet, shower, sink, washer, laundry basket, double bed, and 3 counters

Re: Dumpster Diver Challenge

Posted: July 8th, 2018, 1:22 am
by MichelleCYoung
YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary.

Jenn, your stories are always a pleasure to read. What a great set-up! Way to give a guy character!

It's really pretty fun living off stuff you dig out of a dumpster, isn't it? And if you have University, you wind up building Rebel influence, at the same time. So, if you get rebel influence just from dumpster diving, and they give you a skill-building object, and you use it to build skills, I think that should totally count.

Oh, point of clarification - by "table," I did mean dining table, rather than end or coffee table. You wound up with the right type, eventually, anyway, but I thought I'd clarify.

Re: Dumpster Diver Challenge

Posted: August 25th, 2018, 10:00 pm
by snazzle
What's the ruling on items salvaged at the junkyard? I've done a couple, figuring they were within the same spirit of the challenge (your life is built from one-man's-trash).

Also.. gem-cutting/consignment store? I had my sim use the gem cutter today to cut his stones. I don't know if that counts as a "skill object" (the Elixir shop has one for use there, which is where I put my stuff up to sell). Let me know if I shouldn't use it and I won't anymore (though I'm not going to sweat the half dozen that I cut today.)

Re: Dumpster Diver Challenge

Posted: July 7th, 2019, 12:31 pm
by ciyrose
Oh my gosh, this is such a fun sounding challenge. I decided I needed to try it. :splat: :duh: At least it's short. :D

Re: Dumpster Diver Challenge

Posted: July 23rd, 2019, 1:21 pm
by MichelleCYoung
Sorry, snazzle. I'm almost a year late responding! Wow.

OK, so salvaged items - mine are always useless and worthless, but I think there's a mod that allows you to fix them up, so if you can use them, I say go for it. It's still salvaging junk, right?

And as for the gem cutting machine, cutting gems is a "skill" you can learn via the mailbox, so that first mailed-off cut would "unlock" it, and then you may skill anywhere, so go ahead and cut the gems at the alchemist's shop. Just be sure to mail off the first one, to "unlock" the skill. Either that, or use your profits from selling your salvaged goods, and buy your own gem cutter. When you start sellling the cut gems and gem dust at the alchemy and consignment stores, it will pay for itself very quickly, especially if you have the Gatherer trait, for more gem dust per stack. You can find a lot of gems in the garbage, can't you?

Re: Dumpster Diver Challenge

Posted: August 1st, 2019, 7:26 pm
by FluffyMao
This was a nifty little challenge! I tried it out here.

Score
Spoiler:
+191 for furniture (non-Basic) placed
+42 for Basics dug up
+14 rooms bigger than 6 squares
+76 for every $1000 net worth ($72,092 + $4,343)
+12 for each skill point earned (4 Cooking, 3 Handiness, 3 Guitar)
= 335 points

Re: Dumpster Diver Challenge

Posted: August 5th, 2019, 6:22 pm
by MichelleCYoung
I LOVE Miki Rains! And you did a fantastic job with this challenge! Oh, wow! The house is beautiful, and your story was hilarious. And your score! You have put me to shame.

I'm trying a runaway challenge, now, thanks to Miki Rains! I'm giving her the whole year, like you did, but I'm not making her survive the elements like you did. I'm not that brave. She's getting a shelter, but I'm mostly furnishing it from dumpster diving, oddly enough. HAHA!